SCENE IV. Another Part of the Forest. Enter VALENTINE. Val. How use doth breed a habit in a man! And to the nightingale's complaining notes Thou gentle nymph, cherish thy forlorn swain!— These are my mates, that make their wills their law, Have some unhappy passenger in chace. They love me well; yet I have much to do, Withdraw thee, Valentine: who's this comes here? [Steps aside. Enter PROTEUS, SILVIA, and JULIA. Pro. Madam, this service I have done for you, 6 and RECORD my woes.] To "record" is to sing. In the novel of "Apollonius of Tyre," (on which Shakespeare founded "Pericles,") it is said of Tharsia, when she comes to sing before her father, "Then began she to record in verses, and therewithal to sing so sweetly," &c. "Shakespeare's Library," vol. i. p. 233. A smaller boon than this I cannot beg, And less than this, I am sure, you cannot give. Val. How like a dream is this, I see, and hear! Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile. [Withdraws. Sil. O, miserable! unhappy that I am! Pro. Unhappy were you, madam, ere I came; But by my coming I have made you happy. Sil. By thy approach thou mak'st me most unhappy. Jul. [Aside.] And me, when he approacheth to your presence. Sil. Had I been seized by a hungry lion, Therefore be gone: solicit me no more. Pro. What dangerous action, stood it next to death, Would I not undergo for one calm look. O! 'tis the curse in love, and still approv'd', When women cannot love, where they're belov'd. Sil. When Proteus cannot love, where he's belov'd. Read over Julia's heart, thy first best love, For whose dear sake thou didst then rend thy faith Thou hast no faith left now, unless thou'dst two, Thou counterfeit to thy true friend! Pro. Who respects friend? 7 Sil. In love All men but Proteus. and still APPROV'D,] i. e. proved: a witness in Scotland is still called "an approver." In Vol. iii. p. 458, and in other places, we have had "approbation" used for proof. Pro. Nay, if the gentle spirit of moving words Can no way change you to a milder form, I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end, And love you 'gainst the nature of love: force you. Pro. I'll force thee yield to my desire. Enter VALENTINE. Val. Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch; Thou friend of an ill fashion! Pro. Valentine! Val. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love; (For such is a friend now) treacherous man! Thou hast beguil'd my hopes: nought but mine eye I am sorry I must never trust thee more, The private wound is deepest. O time most accurst! I tender 't here: I do as truly suffer, As e'er I did commit. Val. Then, I am paid; And once again I do receive thee honest. 8 Who should be trusted Now, when one's right hand] This is the reading of the folio of 1632: the folio of 1623 omits "now." Now seems the proper word, (for Valentine is speaking of the degeneracy of friendship at that time) and not own, as inserted by Sir T. Hanmer, without authority, and adopted by Malone, who allowed the passage to stand thus : "Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand.” Is nor of heaven, nor earth; for these are pleas'd. Jul. O me unhappy! Pro. Look to the boy. Val. Why, boy! why, wag! how now! what's the matter? look up; speak. Jul. O good sir! my master charg'd me to deliver a ring to madam Silvia, which, out of my neglect, was never done. Pro. Where is that ring, boy? Jul. Here 'tis this is it. [Gives a ring. Pro. How! let me see. Why, this is the ring I gave to Julia. Jul. O! cry you mercy, sir; I have mistook: This is the ring you sent to Silvia. [Shows another ring. Pro. But, how cam'st thou by this ring? At my depart I gave this unto Julia. Jul. And Julia herself did give it me; And Julia herself hath brought it hither. Jul. Behold her that gave aim to all thy oaths', And entertain❜d them deeply in her heart: All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.] Pope thought it "very odd for Valentine to give up his mistress at once, without any reason alleged;" but it may in some degree account for that sudden relinquishment, if we suppose him not to have overheard all that passed between Silvia and Proteus, and to draw a conclusion against her from finding her in the forest with him. There are few stage-directions in the folio, but the word aside has been placed by modern editors after the speech of Valentine, ending, "Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile." It is very easy to imagine him to withdraw, in order to get out of the view of Silvia and Proteus, and to return to the scene, when he hears the exclamations of Silvia on the violence offered by Proteus. If he had overheard all that was said by them, he would have re-entered before, and no such attempt could have been made by Proteus. To read withdraws instead of aside, and to mark the re-entrance of Valentine, is all that in this case is required. 1 Behold her that GAVE AIM to all thy oaths,]"To give aim" is technical in archery, and was equivalent to to direct. See also Vol. vi. p. 361. O Proteus! let this habit make thee blush: It is the lesser blot, modesty finds, Women to change their shapes, than men their minds. Pro. Than men their minds: 'tis true. O heaven! were man But constant, he were perfect: that one error Fills him with faults; makes him run through all the sins: Inconstancy falls off, ere it begins. What is in Silvia's face, but I may spy Let me be blest to make this happy close: Enter Out-laws, with DUKE and THURIO. Out. A prize! a prize! a prize! Val. Forbear: forbear, I say; it is my lord the duke. Your grace is welcome to a man disgrac'd, Banished Valentine. Duke. Sir Valentine! Thu. Yonder is Silvia; and Silvia's mine. Val. Thurio, give back, or else embrace thy death. Come not within the measure of my wrath: Do not name Silvia thine; if once again, Verona shall not hold thee3. Here she stands: 2 if shame live, &c.] That is, if it be any shame to wear a disguise for the purposes of love. 3 VERONA Shall not hold thee.] Valentine had only seen Thurio, till now, in Milan, and Milan ought, perhaps, to have been the word, and not Verona. However, we may imagine Valentine to be thinking of his native city; and, |
